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RICHARD. A. DOUGLAS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 102,665, dated May 3, 1870.

IMPRovm/mnr In'4 snAsoNnvG woon The Schedule referred to in these-Letters Patent Aand making part of the same. v

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, RICHARD A; DOUGLAS, -of Philadelphia, in the county'of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, Ahave invented certain Improvements in Seasoning Wood, of which the following is a specification, reference being had .to the accompanying drawings.

I am aware that various methods have heretofore been devised for seasoning wood, among which are treating the green `wood with steam, and then kiln-dryiug it at' a high. temperature; subjecting it to the action of moist steam to open the pores and remove the sap, gums, and juices, andlthen to the action of superheated steam to dry it; dryingit in a vacuum; and simply kiln-drying it. All of these plans have in practice, however, been found 'objectionable and inetlicient; the steam treatmentiiiling to extract the sap, dto., and being found worthless, while the kiln-drying thoroughly seasons the wood, but atthe same time destroys the strength ci' the ber, and renders the wood so brittle as toI be almost worthless, where strength or endurance is required. Y

My invention relates to an improved method, whereby -I amenabled to season Wood in. a short space of time without injuring the fiber; and

t consists inimxnersing the green wood in a current of hot or boiling-water, and subjecting it to the action of the same for a considerable length of time, or until all the sap, gums, 81o., are dissolved and carried oil, and then removing the wood from the'water and placing it in a drying-room, where it is subjected to a temperate heat, until all the moisture is driven off; and

It also consists in a novel apparatus to receive the Wood while undergoing treatment.

Figure 1 is a longftudiual vertical section of. my apparatus, and v Figure 2 is a top plan view ofthe same, with the top or cover removed.

In constructing my apparatus, I make a strong metal tank or boiler, A, of any suitable size and form, and enamel its inner surface, or line it with some non-corroding metal, and either make its top removable, or provide it with a. door or other opening, through which the Wood may be introduced, and then the opening closed steam-tight; and I thon mount this tank or boiler upon or over a furnace, C, as shown in tiff. 1. 1

DThrough the furnace I iead a serpentine or coiled pipe, B, and carry it upward, and in throughthe end, and along near the bottom of the tank, and within the tank pierce it with numerous small holes, as shown in figs. 1 and 2, to allow the escape of water from th pipe throughout the whole length oi' the tank; and, to the outer end of this pipe B, I attacha force pump connected with a pipe or reservoir `oi` pure water.

Into the upper portion of the tank I introduce a waste-pipe, D, and provide it with a safety-valve, whereby the water may be maintained at any desired pressure within the tank;` and across the lower part ofthe tank I place ri-bs d,'toj support the wood oi' from the bottom, as shown in iig. 1.

The wood to be treated is introduced into the tank with stripsI laid between' the-pieces, to keep them apart, and allouT a free circulation of the Water around the gums, sap, juices, Aand other matters from the same, and'then tiows off through the pipe D, holding the said matters in suspension. j

The wood is allowed to remain in lthe tank subject t0 the act-ion of the hot water until all the desired matters are dissolved and washed out, the length of time varying with different kinds of wood, and the conf' dition of the same when introduced; it is then removed and placed within a 'drying-roounfthe temperature of which should befr-om' 12()o to 130 Fahren heit, until thoroughly dried, when it may be removed for use.

. Any suitable drying apparatus may be used, but 1 prefer a room open at the top, and heated by coils of steam-pipe arranged around the bottom.

In many kinds of Wood containing` a large amount of coloring-matter, theA water is rapidly discolored, and the water entering the bottom through a single pi pe would be liable -to stain or discolor the wood in the upper part of the tank; to remedy this diiculty tivo or more inlet and outlet-pipes maybe used to produce a more rapid and thorough circulation of the water.

Having thus described my invention,

1. The herein-described process of treating wood, that is to say, subjecting' to the action of hot water, and then drying it by heated air, substantially as described.

2.The tank A, connected with the furnace, and having inlet-pipe B, and outletpipe D, arranged and operating substantially as set forth.

Witnesses: RICHARD A. DOUGLAS.

H. B. Munn', PHIL. T. Doncn. 

